For the second time Zoramthanga swears in as Chief Minister of Mizoram

Zoramthanga takes oath as Chief Minister of Mizoram

In the latest development, the Mizo National Front leader, Zoramthangaassumed office as Chief Minister of Mizoram today. Zoramthanga is becoming the Chief Minister of Mizoram for the second time as he had assumed the post during 1998 to 2008. In the recently concluded Assembly polls, his part rode to power trouncing the Congress party, which was ruling for the last two terms under the leadership of Lal Thanawala. This time around, MNF had fared really well, thus pushing the Congress to the third slot, the latter managing to win only five seats in the 40 member Legislative Assembly. Leading from the front, Zoramthanga entered the campaign fray with power packed speeches that fetched the Mizo National Front as many as 26 seats, whereas, the Congress party’s coalition partner, Zoram People’s Movement emerged second largest winner, bagging eight seats to become the Principal Opposition Party.

The ZPM had only last year forged alliance with the Congress and other non-MNF parties, thought that despite anti-incumbency factor the coalition could sail through. But when the poll results came, MNF emerged a winner. The BJP showed dismal record at the hustings as the party could gain only a solitary seat, that too in the Chakmadominated Tuichawng Constituency in the Chakma Autonomous District Council. Immediately after the result, Zoramthanga had said that all his predictions came true, as he had foretasted that MNF would get between 25 and 30 seats, which in reality had won 26 seats. He had also predicted that the Congress would win only less than ten seats and that too turned true. The new Chief Minister said he would focus on the development of Mizoram, going forward.

CCS rolls out Repeal Law Compendiums for six states of India

To mark the occasion of the “Constitution Day of India” on November 26, 2018 India’s leading think-tank, Centre for Civil Society, advocating social change through public policy, held the Appeal for Repeal Law Day 2018, through the roll out of “Repeal Law Compendiums” for six states in India.

The Centre for Civil Society observes the Appeal for Repeal Law Day 2018, through the launch of “Repeal Law Compendiums” for six states in India.

The CCS also organised a panel discussion on “Exploring Alternatives: Institutionalisation of Repeal of Laws.” The panel included renowned legal, legislative and industry experts in India like the former Union Minister Tariq Anwar, Former Law Secretary PK Malhotra, Former Law Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, Editor (Investigations and Special Projects) Maneesh Chhibber, Legal Editor of The Print Satya Prakash; Founder and Chairman of Kaden Boriss Global Hemant Batra and National Coordinator, Repeal of Laws initiative, Centre for Civil Society, Neeti Shikha addressed the imperative need for a legal framework that recognises the immediate exigency to scrap or amend obsolete, redundant and illegal laws that materially impede the lives of citizens, entrepreneurs and/or the Government.

The Repeal Law Compendiums are produced by CCS, in collaboration with Research Partners- Symbiosis Law School, Noida (SLS), Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar, National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad, National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, University of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir and its Legal Partners, Kaden Borisswho ensure that the laws selected for the compendiums are in keeping with the evolving jurisprudence. The 2018 Compendiums bring forth laws to be repealed in the six states of Assam, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Jammu & Kashmir.

During the panel discussion PK Malhotra stressed on the “need to add sunset clauses to laws, to ensure that these don’t reach a point of obscurity.”

During the panel discussion PK Malhotra laid emphasis on the “need to add sunset clauses to laws, to ensure that these don’t reach a point of obscurity.” He also suggested that the courts could adopt the practice of desuetude, a norm where laws that have not been used or enforced for a long period would lapse automatically. Reiterating this sentiment, Hemant K Batra propounded that the separation of roles between the legislative and the judiciary is paramount, and the legal systems needs to “reflect, enable and embolden the aspirations of the people and change with the times”.

Bringing together like minded organisations, scholars, academicians and lawyers, the panel engaged in a constructive dialogue around the potential processes required for the institutionalisation of repeal of laws, and acknowledge November 26, 2018 as the National Repeal Law Day.

Repeal of Laws Initiative

Centre of Civil Society (CCS) initiated the ‘Repeal of 100 Laws’ Project in 2014 with the aim to identify laws that could be repealed on account of three reasons such as redundancy, obsolescence in the face of new laws, and hindrance to development, governance and freedom. The success of ‘Repeal of 100 Laws’ Project, organised in alliance with National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) and Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, was reflected in the successful repeal of 23 Central laws (of a total 100 suggestions) through the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2014. A total of five state compendiums with 25 laws each were released in 2017 towards furthering the mission of the project.

The Chief Election Commissioner, OP Rawat today announced the dates for the Assembly Elections in states such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Telangana. Apparently, with this announcement of poll dates, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect.

Election Dates

As per Rawat, the election in Chhattisgarh will be conducted in two phases. The first stage will be held in 18 Assembly Constituencies on November 12, while the second stage of election will be held in 72 Constituencies on November 20. Legislative elections in MP and Mizoram will be conducted on November 28. Eventually, Rajasthan and Telangana are also going to the hustings on December 7 in a single phase. According to the EC, the counting of votes will be on December 11. As Mizoram’s 50 member house comes to an end on December 15, the 90 member Chhattisgarh Assembly ends on January 5, 2019, whereas the tenure of the 230 member MP Assembly comes to an end on January 7, 2019, the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly expires on January 20, next year. As a pre-emptive measure, the Telangana Government, led by the TRS Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao had dissolved the house recently, apparently to avoid a possible clubbing of Assembly hustings with the Lok Sabha polls.